Roznovak's Services Blog:
Archive for January, 2015

When Is It Time to Call for Heating Services in Georgetown, TX?

Monday, January 26th, 2015

Everyone knows that their heating systems aren’t invincible. No matter how sturdy your heater is, eventually it’s going to require some maintenance.

The question then becomes: when should you call for it? A lot of people like to wait until a problem occurs before calling for any sort of heating services. While this may save you some slight inconvenience, it will often cost you quite a bit in the long run. Let’s examine some of the best times to call for heating services, and why you shouldn’t wait until something breaks.

Annual Heating Maintenance

The old saying “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” is just as relevant in heating maintenance as it is anywhere else. Preventive maintenance is extremely beneficial to your heating system in many ways. It can identify and fix any parts that may be threatening to cause problems, and ensure that your heating system in general is in the best possible condition it can be. This is especially important during the fall season, right before winter sets in and the demand on your heating system increases exponentially. It is recommended that you have your heating system checked at least once every year, in order to keep it in ideal operating conditions. Even if nothing seems to be wrong with your system, schedule the appointment anyway. You’ll reap a much larger benefit in the long run.

Any Time You Notice an Issue

Heating services can be a pain sometimes. You have to go out of your way to schedule the whole thing, and often make yourself available in case the HVAC technician needs to talk to you about anything. However, that’s no reason to ignore the signs that your heater is having trouble. Though not all issues with your heater present warning signs, there is no excuse to ignore any unusual noise or other behaviors that your system might present. Trust us, the sooner you react to any possible issues, the easier it will be to fix them.

If you think you may need heating maintenance services in Georgetown, call Roznovak today.

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What Can a Heat Recovery Ventilator Do for My Home Heating?

Friday, January 16th, 2015

By now, you’ve most likely been using your heating in Cedar Park for a couple of months, and have had at least one energy bill come in regarding your heating. If you looked at that bill and wondered if there was a better way to make your heating work better for you, you aren’t alone.

And there is a way: install a heat recovery ventilator.

What Is a Heat Recovery Ventilator?

A heat recovery ventilator, also known as a HRV, is a ventilation device that utilizes the heat energy of your outgoing, stale air to pre-treat the cool, incoming fresh air. The way it works is this: the HRV expels your used indoor air, but does so through the HRV; at the core of the HRV is a heat exchanger. At the same time, a small fan draws air into the HRV from the outside. As the two airstreams enter the HRV, the heat energy and moisture from the outgoing air is transferred to the incoming cool, dry air. This pre-treated air becomes part of your heating system’s air flow, but because it is pre-heated, your heating system doesn’t have to work as hard to warm it.

How Does This Help Your Home Heating?

First, an HRV helps take some of the work load off your heating system by pre-treating the air; this reduces the amount of work your heater has to do to heat your home. Any time you can reduce the workload of your heating system, you help increase its energy efficiency. Another benefit of a decreased workload is less stress for your system; a system that isn’t stressed isn’t as prone to malfunction, breakdown and premature aging. The results are less energy use and improved operation for your heating system.

How Does This Help You?

Less energy use means lower monthly energy bills. But there are other benefits a HRV offers you:

  • Improved comfort
  • Better moisture balance
  • Even heating

Think your heating in Cedar Park could benefit from a heat recovery ventilator? Then call the experts at Roznovak today and schedule an appointment!

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What Does R-Value Mean and Why Is It Important?

Friday, January 16th, 2015

Good insulation is necessary for year-round energy efficiency and comfort in your home, but it isn’t a one-size-fits-all kind of product.

Different areas of the country need different levels of insulation throughout the year due to differing climates. For example, a home in Florida will not need the same level of insulation as a home in Maine – but the home in Florida still needs the right amount of insulation to ensure comfort and energy efficiency. So how do you know how much insulation is needed for your home in Taylor, TX? One way is to review R-value.

What Does R-Value Mean?

The “r” in R-value stands for the word “resistance”; this is because insulation slows the transfer of heat, i.e., gives resistance to the heat. The number in an R-value rating indicates the level of insulating power that particular type of insulation has; the higher the R-value of a particular type of insulation, the greater its resistance to heat transfer.

How Is the R-Value of Insulation Determined?

The R-value of any kind of insulation depends on three factors:

  • Type of insulation
  • Its thickness
  • Its density

What Factors Influence Needed Insulation Levels?

As mentioned above, homes need varying levels of insulation; determining this level takes into consideration several factors:

  • Geographic location
  • Climate of location
  • Floor plan of the home
  • Where the insulation is going (exterior wall, ceiling, etc.)
  • Number of stories in your home
  • Specialized architecture (vaulted ceilings, wall-to-ceiling windows, etc.)
  • Type of foundation (slab, crawlspace, basement)
  • Type of heating and cooling systems you have

Can’t I Insulate Myself?

The short answer is: sure you can – but do you really have the skills a professional will bring to the job? Insulation involves a lot: determining what type/s of insulation are best for the different areas in your home, the creating of vapor barriers to protect your home and insulation from excess moisture, installation of radiant barriers in the attic, calculating the correct amount of insulation for your home – the list is long and involved. And unless you can handle all these things and more, it’s best to leave the job to a trained expert.

The insulation in your Taylor, TX, home effects your entire home and everyone in it. If you need help with insulation installation, call the people you can count on: Roznovak.

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Steps to Take before Heating Installation

Monday, January 5th, 2015

Installing a new central heater for a home may sound like an intimidating task, but it shouldn’t be. If you rely on professional heating service in Hutto, TX from Roznovak, the job will go speedily and with few issues. You can trust to our experience to see that your new heater does the job it is supposed to, and will do it for many years to come.

Here are a few steps you can take to help ensure a great new heating installation:

  • Decide on the right type of heater to suit your needs: There are more heating options available today than ever, so choosing a new heater can sometimes present a daunting challenge. If you are replacing an older system, you will probably stay with the same type. However, if you are putting in the first heater for a new home, you must choose among systems like furnaces, heat pumps, ductless heating, and geothermal. The right type of heating for your home will depend on the available fuel sources, factors regarding your house, and your budget plans. Work with professionals to be certain that you make the best choice possible.
  • Have the heater properly sized: This is a key step where you will be glad that you have professionals to assist you. A new heating system must be the right size to provide the heat level you require for comfort but without overworking and draining energy. A heater that is too large for its space is as bad as one that is too small. Skilled technicians will perform a heat load calculation to determine the amount of BTUs a new heater must generate to find the ideal middle ground between effective warmth and efficient performance.
  • Schedule a convenient time: Heating installation usually requires a day to complete. The actual time varies, but your installers should be able to give you an accurate estimate once you have decided on what system to install. Plan to have the work done when you won’t need to have the heat on in the house, preferable when few people will be home, and expect the work to take up at least a few hours.
  • Clear access to the work zone: The installers will take precautions to protect your home by laying down floor coverings. However, you can make the job go faster by moving furniture and other large obstacles to the basement or cabinet in your home where the new heating system will go.

For the most part, you will not have to worry about the details of heating installation if you have a quality team to handle the work. Our technicians at Roznovak have provided Hutto, TX with residential heating service since 1979, and we are experienced with performing fast and effective installations of many types of systems. Call us when you first decide that you need new heating, and we will take care of selecting and sizing the new unit so that you end up with the ideal new home heater for your needs.

 

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When New Year’s Day Was Not on January 1st

Thursday, January 1st, 2015

Some holidays fall on shifting calendar days for every year, such as Thanksgiving (fourth Thursday in November) and Easter (the first Sunday after the first full moon to occur on or after March 21). Other holidays, such as Valentine’s Day and Halloween, are fixed. No holiday has a more solid calendar date attached to it than New Year’s Day. It has to fall on January 1st because it celebrates the first day of a new year. That only makes sense…

…except that, like most things that at first appear obvious, there is a bit more to the story. The beginning of the year was not always on the first of January. As with an enormous numbers of traditions in the Western World, the establishment of January 1st as the inaugural day of a new year goes back to the ancient Romans.

The modern solar calendar is derived from the Roman model, but the earliest Roman calendars did not have 365 days in a year spread over 12 months. Instead, there were 304 days spread over 10 months. The Romans believed this calendar originated with the mythical founder of the city, Romulus. If Romulus were a real person, we can credit him with a poor understanding of the seasons, as this abbreviated calendar soon got out of sync with Earth’s orbit around the Sun. Numa, one of the Kings of Rome (probably also fictional) receives credit for creating a longer year with two added months, Ianuarius and Februarius, bringing the number of days in the year to 355. The new month of Ianuarius, named after Ianus (Janus in contemporary spelling), the god of beginnings, would eventually be known in English as January. But when this new calendar was instituted, January was not the first month. March, named after the god of war, remained the first month, and March 1st was New Year’s Day.

This extended calendar still did not keep in synch with the seasons. In 45 BCE, Julius Caesar instituted reforms to align the calendar correctly according to calculations of astronomers, with an additional 10 days distributed across the year. January also became set as the first month, and offerings to the god Janus on this day started the tradition we now know as New Year’s. The date still fluctuated during the ensuing centuries, with a number of Western European holy days treated as the beginning of the year instead. It wasn’t until the next calendar reform in 1582, the Gregorian Calendar, that the date of the New Year was fixed at January 1st.

However you choose to celebrate the beginning of the current calendar, everyone here at Roznovak hopes you have a wonderful 2015!

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